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for two days and finally exposed to the morning sun on two days. 

 In the Seychelles less time and labour are applied to the work. 

 Here it is thought sufficient to leave the unscraped bark of large 

 trees to dry in the sun for three or four days, as experience has 

 proved that the scraping makes no difference to the yield. Ex- 

 periments with green, half -dried and fully- dried bark have shown 

 that the dried bark gives twice as much oil as does the green, but 

 that the loss in weight during drying is almost in proportion. On the 

 other hand, the oil from the dried bark has a more agreeable odour 

 and a less acrid taste than that from the green. It is said that in 

 January 1908 the oil yield amounted to 9,4 and 9,2 °/ respectively 

 of the raw material 1 ). The yield depends upon the season; increasing 

 in March, when the leaves begin to form, and probably continuing 

 to increase from May up to September. Towards the end of the 

 year, under the influence of the rainy season, it attains its maximum. 

 Similar experience has been gained in Ceylon, where the preparation 

 of the bark is begun about three weeks after the setting-in of the 

 rainy season in May or November. As already stated, large plants 

 yield about 100 lbs. of dry bark, but the average yield is only about 

 20 lbs., not counting the small branches, which contain an equal 

 proportion of oil. At the present time only the wild-growing plant is 

 used, but perhaps the seed may be sown in districts which are 

 unsuitable for more remunerative cultivation. This will have to be done 

 if more factories should be built, as in that case the material avail- 

 able for distillation would be insufficient. Up to the present only 

 one works of this kind is in existence. This has been built in Sans- 

 Souci and has a steam-boiler and a still with a capacity of 4000 liters. 

 The stills formerly used for experimental distillations were only one- 

 quarter that size. 



Besides the bark, the leaves have also been distilled for experi- 

 ments' sake, but their oil has been found to be less valuable than that of 

 the bark. On the other hand, root -oils have not yet been prepared, 

 as the trees are only cut down and not grubbed up. 



The hopes which are built upon the pecuniary profit to be derived 

 from the industry appear to us to be exaggerated, if it is thought 

 possible to compete with the cinnamon oils distilled in Europe from 

 Ceylon chips. According to the experience which we have made so 

 far, the quality of the Seychelles oils is very much inferior to that of 

 the former. 



x ) Such a high yield would be unique. The best Ceylon cinnamon yields about 

 1 °/ , and Seychelles cinnamon is not likely to yield about ten times as much. No 

 doubt the statements made above are due to a printer's error: it was probably 

 intended to read "0,94 and 0,92 °/ " respectively. 



